Pluto kai Kore
by Nathan Fraust
Summary: "Saltaldr" Tie-in: Diana visits Kal for information. Things progress from there.
1. The Prophecies

**The Prophecies**

 **Prophecy of the Harbinger**

 _As it has been, so it shall be,_

 _That the black-gold Lord of the Shadowlands,_

 _In his hungers,_

 _Shall take unto himself that maiden of darkest crown, and_

 _Steal away the peace of a goddess of flaxen hair boun'._

* * *

 _Woe unto that Lord,_

 _For what shall never be, has come to pass,_

 _And that which was, will be forever cursed as the last._

* * *

 _Beseech ye forebearers, O Maiden,_

 _In that land, for respite from thine torment, plea;_

 _See then, that thy Father,_

 _In His kindness, hast given ye a small mercy:_

* * *

 _That thee shall live,_

 _Unshackled, away from the Fates and free,_

 _To cleave to thy love, as he to she,_

 _And as to each a bond of earth the one shall give,_

 _Bound by the sea._

* * *

 **Prophecy of the Morrigan**

 _Hear, here, another thing to fear:_

 _Of royal 'lusts and graven dust,_

 _Which is to live, that one must give?_

* * *

 _Tear, Macc Duinn, rip and tear;_

 _The Hoar Frost comes with the ebb of the Kingtide,_

 _As the time of the Bright Blade and Stave shall abide,_

 _To portend the coming of the end,_

 _The Day of cold Sun and sea Flare._

* * *

 **Author's Note: So, with the new info from the solicitations for BaTB: BM &WW #4 & #5 (btw: if you're reading the actual comic, _don't_ visit DC's website; they spoiled their own story :( ), I've added another prophecy. Bonus points if anyone can guess what the final stanza of the second prophecy means/fortells.**

 **-Nate**


	2. Issue 0: Advice

Issue 0: Advice

 **Sat, March 31, 2018, Kent Farm, Smallville, KS 67525**

"Kal."

Clark turned away from the chicken he was prepping for the family meal that evening.

"Diana!" he greeted, a smile on his face as he noticed his old friend. "Good to see you! Here to help with the Kent Egg Hunt?"

The Amazonian's lips turned up before settling back down into a slight frown. "Unfortunately, no, Kal. I-"

She bit her lip, and looked away.

Clark took in her appearance. Her shoulders were shaking slightly, and she had her hands wrapped around her midsection.

The world blurred as he prepped two cups of freshly-made coffee - black with a spoon of cream and a spoon of sugar for him, an iced mocha for her - and set them down on the coffee table in the living room.

"Please, sit," he gestured.

She shuffled over to the love seat and slowly lowered herself into it. He took the adjacent couch.

"Now, what's this about?" he asked, taking a sip from his cup.

She seemed to draw into herself, holding her coffee with both hands and bringing her knees up to her chest.

"Diana?" Clark prodded, his brow furrowing.

She sighed. "Tell me about us." When his lips parted, ready with a retorting question, she looked at him, her eyes shining. "Tell me about Bruce and I."

The cup in Clark's hand creaked, then: "Why do you want to know?"

" _Hera_ , Kal, didn't you read the _reports_?" She shot him a look. "You know what I went through."

He bowed his head, remembering the sight of her before the portal, her arm covered in gore and blood. She'd looked so _lost_ in that moment, and then she saw Bruce, and the pain in her eyes-

"Before Barry went back-" he paused, brought his head back up. "Before he went back and _changed_ things, you and Bruce were- you were close. He couldn't stop mentioning you whenever we met up for coffee at Zee's Cafe, and when he did-" Another pause. "He- he _changed_. It's like, all of the things that he had been going through that day just- melted away. I've never seen him more happy since."

"But _why_?" she pressed. "What happened between us?"

"He never really said much, but he did mention something about the Obsidian-"

Almost as soon as the words left his mouth, she grunted, putting a hand to her temple.

"Diana!" Clark started, beginning to get up.

"It's fine, Kal!" she said through gritted teeth, motioning him to sit back down. "Keep going."

He pursed his lips, then said, "He spoke about the battle you two had against the Ancients. He'd saved you from Sela, and then, before you two were murdered by Tezumak and Gamemnae, you-"

"Kissed." She touched her lips, then shut her eyes, gave a sigh, and opened them again. "Continue."

He shuffled, then, taking another sip, said, "He didn't really mention anything beyond that, but _you_ did."

"Me?"

He nodded. "You'd let something slip during one of our sparring sessions. It had to have been a month or two after we defeated Gamemnae; you said you'd seen what would happen between you and Bruce. Eventually, you'd admitted that you used J'onn's Transcon-"

"Transconscience Articulator," she supplied.

"Right." He looked at her askance, and then continued: "you'd used J'onn's machine to see what possible futures your subconscious came up with regarding you and Bruce. In one, you were married, as Queen and Prince Consort, and living on Themyscira, and Bruce died. In another, you were married again, but you were part of his crusade, as Batwoman; another one, you and he were taking your last stand against Hades' forces; another, you avenged him by killing the Joker, and the last-"

"I was barren," she whispered, tears welling in her eyes. "I was barren and motherless, and all the gods couldn't grant us even the one thing we craved."

He reached for her free hand and clasped it tightly. She squeezed back.

"I _remember_ , Kal. I remember it _all_. The Age of Obsidian, that day, the War of Light and Dark- I remember." Tears were streaming down her face now. "Why? Damn that _minṓtauros, why?_ "

"It wasn't all for nothing, Diana." Clark stroked her hand with his thumb. "After we brought him back after the last Crisis, you two wouldn't let each other out of your sights on League missions, you called him constantly- you were together, Diana, or as close as two people can be without actually being together. We couldn't tell the difference"

"Then why weren't we?"

He put his cup down, drew his hand back and clasped them together. "You would have been."

" _What?_ "

"The last time we saw each other- before everything changed- at the Cafe, Bruce asked me to be his best man. When I asked who, he showed me a ring. It was a sturdy thing- graphene-plated titanium set in silver- and when I saw the inscription, I knew who it was for."

"What did it say?" she whispered, her voice cracking.

"που δεσμεύονται από τη θάλασσα," Clark said.

" _Bound by the sea_. Oh, Bruce." Rising, Diana put down her now-cool cup, and gave a short, bitter laugh.

"What is it, Diana?"

"The answer, Kal. The answer to _both_ our pains."

* * *

 **AN #1: This is set in the same universe as "Valnarök", and would be, in terms of current comics, about two to three weeks after "Batman #40". Next part will deal with the ramifications of Diana regaining her pre-N52 memories, as well as what's been going on with Bruce and his home/romantic life following Barbatos' invasion and defeat.**

 **AN #2: To Dinasis and LOTSlover, THANK YOU FOR THE FOLLOWS! Sorry if this sounds weird, but I've been a big fan of you guys' work for the past few years, so it's a really fanboyish moment to see the notifications in my email inbox. Hope you enjoy!**


	3. Issue 1: Summoned

Issue 1: Summoned

 **Easter, April 1, 2018, Gotham City, NJ 08210**

The air was muggy as Diana flew over Gotham Harbor, and stunk faintly of burning oil and fish. She would have wrinkled her nose, if she had been even remotely focused on her surroundings.

Her skin flushed at the memories flickering through her mind's eye: the taste of red bean paste bursting into her mouth as she bit into the freshly-made bun Bruce held against her lips, the feel of his calloused palms against hers as they waltzed to Sinatra at Clark and Lois' wedding reception, the warm, rich baritone of his voice as they sang '80s love ballads at a bar in the seedy side of Gotham.

 _Hera, give me strength,_ she thought, a small grin breaking over her face as she spotted Wayne Manor over the horizon. Dipping low to the ground, she alighted on the doormat and, taking a breath, lightly rapped on the oak three times.

Scarcely a half-minute later, the door wrenched open. Selina stood in the doorway, eyes alight.

Diana took a step back, mouth evening out. "Selina-"

"Shut up." The other woman took a step forward, then another, slamming the door behind her. "It was always _you_ , wasn't it? All the times he froze up when even a _hint_ of jazz came on over the radio, the bruises that covered him after he got back from the 'Tower- that was _your_ doing."

Diana held up her hands, backing away with every word from Selina's mouth. "I _assure_ you, Selina, _nothing happened_ between us."

Selina scoffed, hopping off the final step. "Really?" She surged towards Diana, crashing her mouth against the Amazon's.

Diana inadvertently opened her mouth at the sheer _shock_ of what the woman was doing. She tried pulling away, but Selina gripped the back of her head and held her in place, her tongue tangling with Diana's like a python around its prey.

After a few moments, Diana managed to push Selina away with a hiss, her bottom lip aching from being rough-handled by the thief's sharp canines. "What in _Hades_ was that about?" she demanded, wiping the back of her hand across her lips.

Selina gave out a strangled sound, somewhere between a sob and a snarl. "He tasted like _you_ ," she hissed back. "No matter how much he brushed, or how many times I kissed away his morning-breath, he still tasted. Like. You."

Diana took in a deep breath, attempting to clear the flushed feeling from her body. "Please, Selina, I beg your forgiveness. I am _truly_ sorry."

Selina stared into her eyes, her own narrowed. Slowly, she shook her head. "No. No, you're not." She stepped around Diana and stalked over to her motorcycle, muttering to herself as she went: "... _Goddess of Truth_ , my _ass_ …"

Letting out a sigh, Diana turned to start back up the steps again, when her name cut through the air. Turning back, she saw Selina gun the engine, then turn her head to look at her.

"Take care of him." She averted her gaze for a moment, putting on her helmet, then glared back at the Amazon, tears starting to fall from her eyes. "Please. He'll need you, now."

Diana bowed her head as the words washed over her again: _He'll need you…_.

"And Wonder Woman?"

She lifted her head, to see Selina fixing her with what could nearly amount to Bruce's Batglare, her body shifting into rigidity.

"If you break him, _nothing_ will stop me from doing the same to _you_."

Facing forward, Catwoman wiped her face free of tears, closed her visor, and rode off into the dusklight.

Diana watched her until the black of her clothing melded with the encroaching shadows, then turned and proceeded up the steps again. Cautiously, she knocked again, her hair shifting about with a sudden gust of wind; she breathed in and out steadily, lips lifting at the hint of fresh earth in the air.

This time, the door creaked open slightly after only a few minutes, and Alfred poked his head out of the opening. His eyes lit up at the sight of her, and his voice held a hint of merriment to it as he greeted: "Princess Diana, it is good to see you doing well. Master Bruce has been expecting you. Please come in."

She stepped through the door as the British butler swung it open wider. "Please, Alfred, there's no need for honorifics. It's simply 'Diana'."

"Indeed, 'Miss'," he responded dryly, a corner of his lip upturned. "And I suppose I should thusly call Master Damian 'Prince'?"

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes, then winced as a memory lanced through her mind:

 _"Your tea, Princess?"_

 _She looked away from the portrait of Thomas and Martha Wayne hanging above the mantelpiece in the den. "Thank you, Alfred," she said, giving a small smile to Bruce's guardian as she took the china from his hands. Sipping from the cup, she paused, then looked over at the butler. "This isn't the usual, Alfred. What's this one?"_

 _"Narcissus tea, Princess. Master Bruce purchased nearly 70 percent of Xiāntáo's stock on his way back from a… meeting in Hong Kong."_

 _Diana smirked. "Was this meeting for the morning suit?"_

 _Alfred returned her smirk. "For the morning, yes. After, though…"_

 _She grinned, taking another sip. "Well, I must say, Alfred, you brewed it to_ perfection _, though I will miss my usual Moroccan mint."_

 _"Nonsense, Princess; I've already put on a kettle, just in case._

 _She raised an eyebrow. "There's no need to continue with the 'Princess' business, Alfred. I am royalty no longer."_

 _He gave a mock sigh, eyebrows lifting slightly. "Well then, I suppose I must acquiesce to calling Master Damian 'Prince' from now on."_

 _She let out a short chuckle, then-_

"Diana?"

She shook her head, then looked over at Alfred's worried expression. "Yes, Alfred? What is it?"

He pointed behind her.

Suddenly, she felt a presence looming over her, and the strange, earthen wind once more swept over her. Turning on her heel, she immediately knelt, bowing her head. "Lord Pan! What brings you to our realm?"

The horned god bid her rise, saying as she did, " **Greetings, Diana, Daughter of Hippolyta, Princess of Themyscira, Most Beloved of the Amazons. I am not Panon, as you have named me thus, but Cernunnos Cernach, Lord of Fertility and the Hunt, and distant cousin to Panon and his people, your patrons. I request your aid in a matter most grave.** "

Alfred spoke up from Diana's shoulder, his voice a tint annoyed even as it radiated respect. "My lord, if it would be not so forward of me, could you-" and at this, he tilted his head at Diana- "and the Princess follow me, please?"

Cernunnos looked Alfred up and down, his horns scraping the ceiling, before nodding. " **So be it,** _ **mo mhac óg**_ **.** "

* * *

Alfred led them to the study, back stiffening with every scrape of Cernunnos' horns against the ceiling and walls of the Manor. He set the time on the grandfather clock to 10:47, then stepped back as the hidden door swung outward. "You may wish to change form now, my lord. I only recently finished cleaning the doorway."

Diana smiled briefly at the acerbic tone in the butler's voice, flying forward. "Thank you, Alfred," she said as she began to descend into the darkness, Cernunnos' fae wind curling about her as she went. Her soul lightened as she saw the pale glow of the Batcomputer in the near distance, then her stomach dropped as the sound of groaning drifted up to her.

"Bruce?" she called, worry overtaking her at the lack of response. Her flight quickened at the sound of something crashing against stone and the tinkling break of glass.

She called his name again, dropping onto the staircase and proceeding down the last few steps. The ground rumbled as Cernunnos morphed back into his regular form and landed on the floor of the cave. " **My Lady…** "

Diana turned the corner of the passage.

"Wonder Woman."

Her eyes widened at the sight of the man she'd come for. He'd grown out his hair since they'd seen each other last, which was currently put up in a short top-knot, and his chin and cheeks had a smattering of stubble.

"Bruce-" she began, eyes roaming over his bare chest and clenched fists before fixating on the crimson slashes on his chest. She took a step forward.

He took a step back.

Diana stopped, brow furrowed. "What's wrong?"

He stared at her, face twitching. "You-" He stopped, gritted his teeth. "You, of _all_ people, ask me that."

She was confused. "I don't-"

"Why are you _here_?" he demanded, voice growing with each word until he was nearly shouting. "Haven't you done _enough_?"

Her mouth hung open, too shocked for words.

Huffing, Bruce turned his attention to Cernunnos. "Cernunnos, I presume."

The god beheld him with an amused expression. " **It is good to know that Metron's Chosen is of iron. That will be necessary, for what is ahead.** "

Diana managed to snap out of her state of bewilderment long enough to ask, "What _is_ ahead, my lord?"

At this, Cernunnos' countenance darkened, and he bowed his head, slitted pupils glowing like hot coals.

" **Conflict, my lady. As the millenia have passed, my watch as the Guardian of Tír na nÓg has seen my vassals, those you once called the** **Dé Danann and** **Fomor, turn to captives in their own halls, and as in this realm, they have become restless. The Argental King, Elatha mac Delbáeth, has arrived at my** _ **halla**_ **on this very day, amidst rumblings of a new foresight from the Morrigan and even Mother Danu herself.**

" **When I cast the runes, once, twice, a third time, they all spoke the same: find the ones spoken of by the** _ **Aralt**_ **of** _ **Cearta na Bantiarna**_ **; they shall bring about a new peace upon your land.** "

"But- _us_ , my lord?" Diana gestured to herself, then Bruce, who had moved closer while Cernunnos was talking. "What sort of help could _we_ be?"

" **I am unsure, my Lady. Indeed, in much the same vein as my cousin, my desired solitude has left me unaware of much in my realm, as has my fickle mind. What I** _ **do**_ **know-** "- he glanced at them both- " **-is that** _ **both**_ **of your gifts are needed to broker the peace we all desperately need at this time. Thus, I ca-** "

A shrill beep cut through the horned god's request, drawing the odd trio's attention to the Batcomputer's screen. An alert showed across the screen, pulsating red: _Irish Quarter scan complete. Symptoms of chronic lethargy widespread, unknown energy signature present._

"Pull up the energy signature, fullscreen," Bruce commanded.

When the signature appeared, Cernunnos let out a deep, rumbling gasp. When Bruce and Diana looked to him for an explanation, he whispered, " **Impossible.** _ **Baineann sé liom**_ **!** _ **Ó, an t-olc sin**_ _ **ealbh**_ **!** "

"My lord?" Tentatively, Diana placed a hand on the horned god's forearm. "What is it?"

" _ **An**_ _ **Ruán Aille.**_ " He looked shaken. " **He has returned.** " He turned away from them, and, loping over to a wall of the Batcave, began scratching at it with his clawed hands.

"The Sparrowhawk?" Bruce crossed his arms, mouth set in a line. "You let _him_ control your armies?"

Cernunnos ignored him, continuing to scratch at the cave wall.

He turned to Diana. "You _do_ know what you're getting us into, don't you?"

At his condescending tone, Diana finally snapped.

" _No_ , Bruce," she said hotly, grabbing him by the edges of his cape and pulling him toward her. "I don't. So tell me: what does the World's _Greatest Detective_ know that I clearly am ignorant of?"

He struggled in her grasp, eyes suddenly wide with fear. "Diana. _Please_."

She let go of him at once, her hands instead going to her head as it seemingly split open. Every muscle in her body tensed as she started to scream.

Diana collapsed to the cold floor, curling into a fetal position as the memories poured into her. She could distantly hear the clopping of hooves, faintly felt rough hands gather her up into clothed arms, and then, mercifully, the black took her.

She awoke to cries of " _Feallmharfóir!_ "

* * *

 **A/N: So, did you guys hear about the new "The Brave and the Bold: Batman and Wonder Woman" comic? Well, the first issue's out now, and the next one's coming on the 21st of this month. I honestly didn't have any specific direction for this particular story as of last week/two weeks ago, but now I do.**

 **Also, in case you guys haven't noticed yet: my stories are almost always chock-full of Easter eggs. I'll try and point some out in the future, if you want.**

 **Translations**

 _mo mhac óg_ \- my elven son

 _halla_ \- hall

 _Aralt_ \- Herald (synonym for harbinger)

 _Cearta na Bantiarna_ \- Themiscyra/Themyscira (rough approximation for the (approximated) English translation of Themiscyra, _Themis-Lady_ ; thus, _Cearta na Bantiarna = Justices of (the) Lady_ )

 _Baineann sé liom_ \- He belongs to me

 _Ó, an t-olc sin ealbh_ \- Oh, that traitorous elf

 _Feallmharfóir_ \- assassin

 **I'm a bit undecided on whether or not to wait for the next issue to come out before writing Issue 2, so if you'd like to see more sooner, please feel free to tell me so via PM or a review (I don't know exactly how to do a poll on here yet).**

 **-Nate**


	4. Issue 2: Discourse, Discord

Issue 2: Discourse/Discord

Diana sipped at the _korma_ in her tankard, a hand pressing against her pounding skull, as she watched the proceedings in front of her.

" **What** _ **nonsense**_ **is this,** _ **Cerf Ancienes?!**_ " The masked being with elven ears pounded the feast-table with his fist, knocking over several flagons and tankards; ignorant of the low grumbling coming from both sides, he pointed a finger at Cernunnos, who leaned on his staff, eyes downcast.

" **Our king Elatha lies dead by this** _ **murderer's**_ **-** " -he pulled a young man towards him- " **hand, and yet, you come to us with fool tales of** _ **your**_ **vassal's bond-breaking and this waif being the** _ **Damoisele**_ **the** _ **Mere**_ **spoke of.** **No.** " He shook his head, violently. " **This will not stand. We demand vengeance. We demand supplication from all who dwell in** **Tír na nÓg-** "

He spread his hands. " _ **Lest**_ **war without end** _ **befalls this land.**_ "

"Insolent _consanguin_ ," spat a golden-haired man. "You forget, Captain Furf, that _I_ , and my _Fiann_ , drove your ancestors back to whence they came, to rot with their king. Do not think that I cannot do so again."

Furf scoffed. " _ **For one who woke not a fortnight ago, you are**_ **bold** _ **,**_ _ **mac Cumhaill. Or has your**_ **ailit** _ **cast some glamour on you from her time with her rapist?**_ "

Mac Cumhaill surged to his feet, face reddened with rage as he leapt over the feast-table at Furf. "I'll have you flayed for that, _murúch fir_!"

Heaving a sigh, Cernunnos gave a glance to Diana.

Taking one last sip, Diana set her tankard down, then, moving so fast so as to be a blur, seized both the Fomorian and macc Dé Danann, hoisting them by the scruffs of their clothes as she hovered above the table.

"Your guardian," she began in a firm voice, "summoned me and my colleague to this place to resolve your ridiculous squabbles. Yet, in the past hours since I alone have arrived, you two have yammered on about a "return" to the world of Man, and have hurled idiotic spit-daggers at one another over who murdered your king, and your guest." She looked at both of them in turn. "Stop this mad circling, and let someone with at least an _ounce_ of a mind between their ears figure this out."

" _ **Our king-**_ " -Furf coughed, the breastplate of his armor digging into his chest- " _ **\- is**_ **dead** _ **! Have you no**_ **understanding** _ **of what this**_ **means** _ **?!**_ "

 _Better than you know,_ Diana thought to herself.

"I will release you both _if_ -" -at this, she shook the two of them lightly- "you both cease your wasteful rivalry. I was summoned to help your peoples come to peace with one another, but they cannot start that peace without one to emulate."

The pair looked at each other angrily, but as Diana watched, mac Cumhaill's expression shifted to one of sheepish embarrassment. He stuck out a hand. "A truce?"

Furf clenched his fists, then nodded, grasping the proffered hand and giving a quick, single shake.

Diana lowered, dropping them in their respective seats, then floated to the head of the table.

"Now: my companion has been lost to me for nearly three hours, or what should be hours to me. We both entered Lord Cernunnos' portal, but when the two of us arrived, I was the only one left. Therefore, I ask: where is Batman?"

* * *

The grappling prong embedded into the tree branch, but when he activated the miniaturized motor in the grapple gun, he only got a half-dozen feet in the air before the branch snapped off.

Batman pressed the release button on the side of the grapple gun, hands going to the edges of his cape and attaching with a short crackle of electricity. He dipped below the falling branch, chest a foot off the ground, before pulling up, swooping over a number of fallen branches and trees and perching on a relatively-thick branch.

He pressed two fingers to his temple, blinking as the world lit up with data and infrared scans.

 _It's not_ sonar _, Bruce; it's-_

"Detective-sense," he murmured, body low to the branches as he ran through the trees.

The cowl's audial sensors spiked with a low, normally-undetectable growl, and he felt the air beside him shift. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the maroon-colored sky darken, and a pair of glowing yellow eyes snaked into his field of view.

"Irrer," Batman stated, pulling up short.

A dark red tongue flicked outward, the floating eyes never wavering, as Bruce heard, as if all around him, _No, sssson of Ióssua; I am Kúuul, of the Aag-Gáire. Thissss 'Iiirrer' you sspeaaak of is not known to usss._

Batman rubbed at his face, letting out a sigh.

 _I am taaakiiiing yoouuu toooo my Misstressss, lessst sssheeee ssskin meee for gauntletssss._

"Like hell you are," Batman ground out, pulling a batarang from his belt.

The eyes vanished as Batman felt his arms press against his chest. He had scarcely begun to touch the concealed high-decibel emitter in his belt before he felt fangs plunge into his neck.

* * *

Diana crouched at the edge of the loch, swirling the silvered waters with a light touch.

The white-maned face of Nodens appeared in the eddies. " _Milady._ "

Diana dipped her head. "Lord Nodens. I request passage to _Tír fo Thuinn_." Noting the sea god's wrinkling nose, she forged on, "It is of _utmost_ importance that I arrive post-haste; I fear for my… _colleague's_ fate."

" _Tis a stone-headed request you make of me, Lady Diana. The passage between Balaramás' branches has grown treacherous in recent times, and many dark fae stalk its' ways._ "

Her lips turned downward. "I know of these things, my Lord; they are why I am here before you in the first place."

The apparition waved its' hand, making the water curve upward. " _Och, woman. Your ears are stuffed. I_ cannae _-_ "

Cernunnos' visage crept over the border of the water. " _ **Nephew, do as she requests.**_ "

The sea god's expression shifted ever so slightly, but enough. " _ **At once, milord.**_ "

Diana began to draw her hand back, but webbed fingers broke out of the water's still surface and yanked, hard.

She tried to pull back again, but the hand wrapped around her wrist was insistent - up until it was cut from the arm by a flash of silver. A horrendous shriek burbled out of the loch, echoing about the forest, as "Nodens" fell from sight.

Tearing the offending appendage from her skin, Diana hurled it into the woods, then, strapping her sword to her waist, pulled her hair into a messy ponytail and tensed her muscles. She looked over at Cernunnos. "I will find him."

The horned god dipped his hand in the waters, eyes darkening with the pool's color. " _ **Go,**_ " he whispered, " _ **and good fortune to you, milady.**_ "

Turning back to the loch, Diana drew in a breath, and dove in.

* * *

Bruce woke with a start, upper body heaving into the air as he shouted, "Stop!"

His voice echoed around him.

He sniffed the air. _Dust, salt, mold- a cave, most likely littoral._

Swinging his legs, he felt for the floor, an involuntary shiver passing through him as he felt the sheer cold coming up through the soles of his feet.

Eyes squinted, he looked around the cave. Books were strewn about the dark stone floor, along with torn articles of clothing and several wineskins. He noted the presence of quite a few binding wraps.

"Ah, _good_. You're awake."

Bruce watched as a form of sea-green flickered into being before him, before settling into the shape of an ashen-haired woman. He averted his eyes.

"Come now, silly. It's not like you haven't seen all this _before_."

Fingernails dug into his chin as she wrenched his head to face her.

"You _can_ look, you know." Releasing him, she straightened back up, making no move to cover herself, and perched a hand on her hip. "My husband holds no qualms towards a sudden twist in the sheets, no matter the-"

She looked him up and down, tongue darting out to wet reddening lips. " _Man_."

Bruce felt the old beast shift inside of him, but the feeling of his nails digging into his palms stopped its rise.

"I am en-"

"Engaged." She tossed her head, scoffing, "As if _that_ didn't implode hours ago."  
He stilled.

"Oh, _yes_ , _Bruce_. I know of your little 'kit for bat' with the former 'future Mrs. Wayne'. I must say- it's quite a shame she doesn't approve of the methods I myself employ. Ostara only knows why she didn't enjoy being collared for sport-"

A sound of near-animalistic rage rang through the cave as he launched himself at the offending stranger. She crossed her arms, then vanished in a flash. His hands scraped against the rough floor, but he was back up in moments, prepared to subdue her.

In the space of a blink, an arm was around his neck, and the skin at his waist prickled at the feeling of a point of a knife.

Her sultry gasp whispered past his ear. "Naughty, _naughty_ , Brucie. Mistress Branwen will have to _punish_ you for that."

The point of the knife slid up and in.

* * *

 **Translations**

 _ **korma**_ **\- type of ancient Celtic beer, made from barley**

 _ **Cerf Ancienes**_ **\- Old French for "Stag of the Ancients"**

 _ **Damoisele**_ **\- Old French for "Maiden"**

 _ **Mere**_ **-** **Old French for "Mother"**

 _ **consanguin**_ **\- French for "inbred"**

 _ **ailit**_ **\- Irish for "doe" or "tall poorly-dressed woman".**

 ** _murúch fir_ \- Irish for "mermaid man"**

 _ **macc Dé Danann**_ **\- Irish for "son/descendant of Danu"**

 ** _Irrer_ \- German for "madman"**

 _ **Kúl**_ **\- mutated Irish for "tail"**

 _ **Ag-Gáire**_ **\- Irish for "Ones who Laugh (Laughing Ones)"**

 _ **Tír fo Thuinn**_ **\- Irish for "land under the wave"**

 ** _Balaramás_ ****\- Irish for "Balor's/Balar's Mace" (equivalent to Yggrdasil)**

* * *

 **Author's Note: So, I'm publishing this at an ungodly hour, and I want to crash, but I've got a shitload of work today and tomorrow, so... Yeah.**

 **Anyways: a bit more story development for you guys.**

 **As you can see, this is going to be one for the darker category of Wonderbat stories. I can only hope to be able to address exactly what I'm attempting to say about the current in-comic characters of Bruce and Diana near the end of the story, which will probably cap around Chapters 7-9.**

 **Also: I don't enjoy putting "Read & Review" on my stories, but if you have something to say about the direction I'm going in, please, feel free to post _something_ ; PM me, even.**

 **-Nate**


	5. Issue 3: Wading Between Worlds

Issue 3: Wading Between Worlds

Bruce grunted as the fair-haired witch struck him once, twice, thrice on his ribs, abdomen, and calves. He whirled around, staff at the ready, as the muted strain of her laughter floated out the mouth of the cave.

"Why do you fight it, Bruce?" Branwen appeared to his right, a wooden cup in her hand.

Bruce knocked the cup away and backed up, shaking his head and groaning at the pain in his back and midsection.

The witch sighed, her lips setting in a thin line. "I _do_ understand what you're going through. Once Shea had had his way with me, I couldn't eat, could barely _sleep_ , for that matter. Everything and everywhere that he touched was poisoned, or rotten, or deathly for me to even be near. But then-"

Her eyes lit with a strange fire.

"The Brightseer came to me, in the dark of my dreams, and oh! The _plans_ he has for this place!" She laughed, arms outstretched as she twirled about.

Bruce bit down on his tongue, hard enough to draw blood. "You can't hold me here forever," he ground out, his mouth feeling like it was filled with lead.

Scooping her staff from where it laid against the wall, Branwen gestured towards the mouth of the cave. "Then go. I am not holding you here."

She waved her hand, and Bruce felt a weight settle on his chest and limbs. He glanced at the dark grey fabric of the Batsuit, flexed his newly-gloved hands, then, shooting a glare at his captor, turned around and strode forward, out of the cave-

And into a shrieking storm of ice and nightmares.

* * *

Dried grass crunched beneath Diana's feet as she ran across the marshy, frost-encrusted plains stretched out before her. Her breaths came in short white pants that blurred into the fog before her, in-out-in-out, and her lungs burned within her.

Wincing as an ear-splitting screech echoed in the vast cavern, Diana mentally cursed herself as to be so foolish to forget a cloak and shield. Even with the gods-given speed she was traveling at, the unnatural chill that pervaded the air in this place cut to her very bones, slowly, inexorably sapping her energy.

The grip on her sword tightened as she sighted a pool of shimmering water just ahead of her; unsheathing it, she whirled around, bringing up her guard as the darkening fog parted, seemingly of its own accord. A hiss ripped past her ear as she hopped backwards, feeling invisible claws swipe at the air where she once was. Claws scraped against her blade, rocking her backwards, straight into something long and cold.

Diana shouted in enraged surprise as she threw her elbow behind her, only to find it restrained. Her vision blurred as a scream tore past her left ear, and she slumped forward, onto her knees. Almost instantly, she could see nothing, could breathe no longer, as she was slammed face-first into a shallow puddle in the ground before her.

" _Téigh ar ais chuig d'oileán scamallach, bréagán; D'fhulaing an nochtadh go bhfuil deireadh do ghearán trua._ "

A numb feeling of pressure pushed at her forehead, her scalp, and she heard, as though from a mile away, " _Die, you stupid mortal. Die, as your father died,_ begging _for your pathetic lover._ "

The pressure snapped.

Diana thrust herself into the air, vision reddening, and drawing her blade to the heavens, thrust out an arm and struck the flat of her sword against the bracer.

As dust arose from the blast that emanated from her bracer, she spotted shapes; that was all she needed.

Drawing in on herself, she blurred forward, arms coming together with the clang and scrape of metal against metal, and knocked down the forms before her with a blast of ruddy energy. Grasping two of the shapes by their necks, she squeezed.

At the sound of her compatriots strangled, final gasps for life, the final shape shimmered into view, revealing a gaunt woman clothed in nothing but a green-grey cloak. She hissed at Diana, revealing bloodstained fangs. " _You disgust us. Why do you even care for such a fool mortal? You are no_ god _._ "

Diana punched her in the jaw.

The banshee skidded and skipped along the marshland like a stone, cratering next to the shimmering pool. An instant later, Diana was there, grasping the broach at the dark fae's breast and hauling her off her feet. Drawing her close, Diana met the monster's eye and said, in a voice of frozen rage, "Let me _show_ you _what_. _I_. _Am_."

* * *

His ribs felt like they had been wrapped in frayed jumper cables and punched by Black Lightning.

Batman sucked in another breath, crouching behind the crumbling wall of what was once a church, and peeked around the corner.

The black-cloaked rider raised its pale whip of bone and ligament, and, faster than he could blink, lashed out at thin air. The whinnying of the red-eyed horse on which the rider was saddled echoed off the walls of the flash-frozen town, mixing with the croaking cries of the blurred and twitching forms yoked to the horse's harness as the whole grotesque lot started forward.

A chill ran down his spine as the rider raised the green-spotted head crowned with eyes high above its body; the severed body part cried out, or rather screeched, " _Fir-íaltóce, Fir-íaltóce, Fir-íaltóce._ "

Bruce tensed, but nothing happened.

"What the-" he began, when something whispered in his ear, "Time to come out and play, Darkie."

He whirled around, only to come face-to-face with the wet snout of a very angry horse.

 _Oh, sh-_

The PEG-suspended sheets of graphene cushioned his sternum and breastbone from the shock of hooves pounding against him, as Batman allowed the slight backwards motion of the force to push him to a safer distance. Palming a mini-flashbang, he tossed it at the whip-wielder, backflipping further away as the entity raised its bone-whip for another strike.

" _Bruce Thomas Wayne._ " The rider brought down the whip, the jagged tailbone shearing just past Batman's cowl to tear into the hard-packed earth.

" _Bruce Thomas Wayne._ " The head roared its fury as the spasming horrors behind it surged forward, breaking through their iron collars that bound them to the harness.

" _Bruce Thomas Wayne._ "

Batman shifted into the first stance of _Alnahr Alththani_ , slipping by the first of the twitchers as it lunged at him, and redirecting the momentum of the second into its other two comrades. Gritting his teeth at the sensation of his hands and forearms turning inside out, he backed away.

" _Plútón Helios._ "

His chest began to ache, and his bones felt like they were turning to gelatin inside him.

" _Plútón Helios._ "

Batman pressed the release latch on the bottom of his batarang compartment, and, clutching the crude, but freshly-whetted weapon between his index finger and thumb, flung it at the head. The hand holding the head let go-

Dropping it straight into the path of another batarang.

The fiendish creature made no sound at first, then-

Batman winced as an inhuman shriek tore through the air, eyes squinted and watching while the head began to crumble into dust, with the body following suit.

The horse neighed, rearing up and lashing out with both hooves, then settled back down, looking Batman dead in the eyes.

 _Thank you._

Batman simply inclined his head.

The horse tossed its head back. _Come. I have much to show you._

Batman glanced behind him. The twitchers remained where they were.

He looked back to the horse, then walked over to it. Picking the batarang up off the ground, he sliced off the lines of leather connecting the iron collars to the beast, then reached over his head and cut off his cape. Cutting it into three sections lengthwise, then bisecting two of the pieces and draping the longest section of cloth across the back of the horse, he wrapped his hands and feet in the fabric, and swung up onto the horse's back. Pressing at the horse's flanks, he eased it into a canter.

"Then show me," he said, eyes fixed on the dark and stormy horizon.

* * *

She awoke to the crack of lightning and the sensation of floating.

Diana sat up, letting out a short yelp as her hands temporarily found no purchase, and took in her surroundings.

A castle, black as stormfronts in the dead of night, loomed over the silvered clouds; bluish gold lanced through the numerous cracks in the curtain wall, giving the structure a sense of fulmenic fury frozen at its peak. A cold wind blew in from the west, carrying a faint, haunting shriek with it; the sound built upon itself, thousandfold upon thousandfold, until the very heavens seemed to split, and from the breach…

Black birds, tens of dozens, darkened the sky, crows, ravens and rooks alike. The downbeat of their wings were like thunder, and the caws of " _Tagann an fear liath_ " shook the very fundament Diana stood upon. They swarmed the Amazon like moths to a flame, and through the clamouring horde, she saw a shape, huge, yet formless, pass before her.

She tried to retreat, but they were behind her, and above, a dome of flitting shade. The squawks of the corvids fell, only to be met by a sound like rushing wind, and the echoed _pfft_ of struck meat; then- a crushing, stabbing pain.

 _By the goaaaAAAA-_

"AAAIIEEEE!" Diana screamed, blinking back tears as she was lifted into the air by a massive hand. The wound inflicted by the cavern-dwellers felt as though it was on fire, and her bones creaked at the sudden pressure. Feeling the hand slow, she saw nothing but grey through the film of tears, heard naught but an ever-present rumble.

Yet, strangely, as the air shifted, she did not feel afraid, and when the grey separated into an iridescent red-black iris, her resolve strengthened. Working to free her arms, she'd just managed to unsheathe the gods-forged sword from its scabbard when the giant began to speak.

 _ **Paaags, swesreeeinosoy.**_ _ **Eǵhóm juweeeey ceeeemjō, moneeeejōy juuuuweeee.**_

Diana roared against the rumble of the giant's strange tongue, bringing the blade down on the being's thumb. The giant reacted violently, flailing its' arms and flinging the Amazon to the ground. Dazed from the impact, she watched as it crouched down, its' face feet away from her's, and bellowed in a tone she recognized as frustrated anger.

 _ **Mlākós maaaaqā.**_

She heard the swoosh of air near her ear, then a splitting pain erupted from her temple, and the world went black.

* * *

 **Translations**

 ** _Téigh ar ais chuig d'oileán scamallach, bréagán; D'fhulaing an nochtadh go bhfuil deireadh do ghearán trua._ \- Go back to your shadowed island, toy; you cannot endure the revelation that your questions end at. (or something to that approximation)**

 ** _Fir-íaltóce_ \- Man-of-Bats**

 ** _Alnahr Alththani_ \- the martial arts devised by the League of Assassins over the centuries**

 ** _Plútón Helios - "_ Sun Pluto", the male aspect of the married relationship between the moonrise, _Koure Selene_ , and the sunset, _Plouton Helios_ , as well as the relationship between Hades/Pluto and Persephone/Proserpina**

 ** _Tagann an fear liath_ \- The greyman comes**

 _ **Paaags, swesreeeinosoy.**_ _ **Eǵhóm juweeeey ceeeemjō, moneeeejōy juuuuweeee.**_ **\- Peace, sister. I come to you, to warn you. (original text is Proto-Indo-European)**

 _ **Mlākós maaaaqā.**_ **\- Stupid girl.**

* * *

 **Author's Note: Well, I feel like this was a shitshow. Just finished my third semester at Uni, and I'm just so fucking sick of all this shit.**

 **Anyways, I'm splitting this issue into two parts; with this "issue" introducing some of the "realms" of the Celtic otherworld, I plan on fleshing out the McGuffin of the original series in the next, as well as continuing to build on Diana, Bruce, and their relationship.**

 **Hope you enjoyed, if you're still reading.**

 **-Nate**


End file.
